Stigma of Chaos
by TheShadowEclipse
Summary: In a world ruled by Order, those who bear the brand are the last hope in restoring it. Four hundred years have passed since a small army of Beorc and Laguz opposed Ashera in the Tower of Guidance and failed. Four hundred long years have passed for truths to be overshadowed by lies. History is written by the victor after all. Post-Radiant Dawn AU.
1. Prologue

_**Stigma of Chaos**_

_**Prologue**_

They call us by many names.

To the Beorc, we are the Branded; to the Laguz, the Parentless.  
Yet be it for our stigmas or our mixed blood, it matters not; we are shunned by the world all the same. We are neither Beorc nor Laguz, but some horrible abomination in between. While the Beorc fear and hate us, the Laguz deny our heritage and refuse to acknowledge our existence at all. The world has changed much, but this discrimination has only worsened with time.

It has been four hundred years since the last major World War that encompassed the whole of Tellius. This war was the final trigger in the unraveling of an eons old prophecy of the Goddess. She had decreed that there would be no wars before the due time of her awakening, lest she awaken early and punish the world for it.

Of course, that is impossible to ask of mortals.

A stone spell descended over the world as the Goddess awoke, and those of weak mind were petrified. Yet none of we Branded were ever affected. The remaining individuals that survived the spell united as one under the command of a young Beorc General, the original purpose of the war completely petty and forgotten with the appearance of this new threat. They marched to Sienne, capital of Begnion, to the sky scraping tower that had been the resting place of Ashera for so long. They hoped to oppose the Goddess in her judgement.

At the end of that war four hundred years ago, which most of the Branded are old enough to remember (not the Laguz, as the event has been wiped from all their minds), the Tower of Guidance in Sienne was rocked with absolute and tremorous power. The Goddess of Chaos, our ally, was sealed, and the rebellious Beorc and Laguz who opposed Ashera, destroyed. With them, the chance to uncover the truth of ancient lies and the chance for us Branded to live freely.

The ones who were turned to stone when the Goddess of Order first awakened were never saved. And those whose lives perished in vain at the Tower of Guidance... were never avenged. However, the Goddess, impressed by the strong resistance at the Tower and the will of both Beorc and Laguz, gave the world another chance.

It is true that the world was saved from a silent fate of stone as the Goddess stalled her judgement. Yet Ashera's last chance is one where the world could not possibly go astray in any way. Such a thing as free will was gone. Taken away. The world and its remaining inhabitants were brought under the Order's rule.

There is no war, no conflict among nations, no Chaos to balance out the strictest Order. With the people devoid of chaotic incensions, the world prospers quietly.

The Goddess has created an ideal world. Laguz and Beorc have been completely segregrated to the opposite ends of Tellius, Order brought to each. She has stopped the senseless bloodshed that was prominent before her awakening and has effectively saved the civilizations of human and beast from themselves.

Only we Branded, born from violation of the Goddess's supreme Order, are unnaffected. In a world of Order, we bring Chaos. We are the last remnants of a world of the past long dead, a world now believed to be a dark and bloody age before the Goddess's awakening and the salvation that came with her.

The Order itself is no worse than the political corruption in Begnion's Senate all those years ago. Ashera handed the world to them and returned to her sleep. The Order follows her last absolute and supreme order: To keep the peace. To them, that involves keeping the Beorc and Laguz worlds apart and keeping the past world a secret. Fueled by religious inanity, they do good and foul in the Goddess's name. And Ashera, secluded in her tower of dreams, turns a blind eye.

The Beorc and Laguz have been at each other's throats for longer than I can remember, contrary to older legends that speak of a time where beast and man were united and the Goddess was still whole. The Order believes conflict comes from the meeting of these two civilizations and sees fit to keep them apart. Times have changed and we Branded, a species that should not even exist and are proof that Laguz and Beorc can still somehow coexist, are deemed a threat that the Order must eliminate. People are afraid of what they do not comprehend. That fear is so mistaken with hate that it soon becomes one and the same.

The Branded live as outcasts, forced to hide our mixed heritage to survive. Some of us have less conspicious traits that allow us to pass off our abnormal powers as protections from the spirits and pretend to be Spirit Charmers. Others flee to the desert, to a hidden colony that will soon become too big to hide from the Order's keen eyes; while others yet wander Tellius without real purpose, never staying too long in one place lest their ageless complexions be discovered. Should what we truly are ever be brought to light, our very births a supposed sin to Ashera herself, our lives would be shattered. Hunted and destroyed.

Wherever we go, we bring a disruption to the Order. That is our ability. A small burst of chaos that brings with it bright life, not the submissive and apathetic people that the Order has raised in this age.

Even now, there are forsaken cities buried underground that stand still. Cities of civilizations long past. Crimea and Daein are myths now, only Begnion and all the Laguz nations thrive still. The buildings in these old cities are decayed and crumbled and all of their past inhabitants...locked in a fate of stone. We Branded are the only ones who know where they are located. And we nurture the slightest hope that they hold the key to changing the world's current fate.

I myself lost someone precious at the Tower of Guidance in that war. Someone I owe my very life to. He was important not just to me, but crucial to the whole world; it seemed at the time that he was its last hope. I am proud to have served him as tactician. Never will I forget him no matter how many centuries my Branded blood allows me to live.

* * *

_**Still dunno where the idea for this story came from. Next chapter will be up soon if you're interested. I will be switching to third person next chapter - my comfort zone. For some reason I felt it was necessary to do this prologue in first to give some insight. Basically Ike and Co. failed at the end of Radiant Dawn and the Order took over and grew into a bigger organization since then. Soren's survived and gotten over the loss...more or less. All the Branded from Path of Radiance/ Radiant Dawn will appear or be mentioned. The Branded characters need more love after all. ;] **_

_**Today is 12/21/12 by the way. Whoa. COMMENCE NEW ERA!**_


	2. Chapter One

**_Chapter One_**

_Northern Begnion north of Grann Desert, southernmost outskirt of the region of Telgam, north of the Miscale River..._

The flickering light of a blazing hearth dimly lit the interior of the small inn. In front of the fire, a traveler hunched over a bowl of stew at a table, listening to the innkeeper who had been complaining about the storm ever since he had arrived. The whole inn was currently vacant of customers besides two travelers and the innkeeper's wife and family that currently slept in some of the rooms in the back. The inn would stay deserted as long as the howling blizzard outside impeded business.

"-wind's been shaking the roof the whole day. At this rate, I'm afraid it'll blow right off. A blizzard in the middle of spring? And here I was thinking winter's cold was already long past." The innkeeper sighed, stroking a short beard. His attention turned to the traveler's small companion seated behind him.

"What about your friend over there?" he asked. "Been asleep ever since you got here."

The traveler took a moment from his food to briefly look over his shoulder at his companion, and then resumed eating. Shaggy green hair fell back over his eyes as he ate another spoonful of stew. "He isn't the type to fall asleep in front of people. That blizzard took a toll on him," he said quietly, more to himself than the innkeeper.

The innkeeper had heard though. "Well, I'd imagine so. He's such a small boy. A heavy blizzard like that would be exhausting to travel through. Good thing you found our humble little inn before it got too worse, otherwise you might have ended up wandering blindly in the snow until daybreak! It doesn't look like it will let up anytime soon."

The green-haired man laughed lightly and nodded. "You wouldn't mind preparing another bowl for my friend and a room for us? We'll be staying the night then."

"No problem." The innkeeper left.

Wiping his mouth on a trailing sleeve, the man got up from his seat to approach the chair behind him. His companion had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace in this seat. He lowered himself to the sleeping boy's level, for a moment unsure of how to wake him.

"Soren," he said softly.

Asleep, the mage seemed to be a completely different person, the man mused, a bit loathe to wake him. When his sleep was untroubled, which was rare, his serene expression made it seem like he was finally at peace.

"Soren," he called a little louder, knowing that his friend was a light sleeper even when he was tired. The mage's eyes slowly opened, crimson eyes looking a bit otherworldly as they reflected the fire's light and seemed to glow. Slowly, they flicked to his as he fully gained consciousness.

"How are you feeling?"

Soren seemed not to hear his question. He tried to stand but visibly winced as his arm went to his abdomen and he settled back into the chair.

"A-are you ready?" he said, looking away as he noticed how hoarse he voice sounded. He cleared his throat. "We've rested long enough, we should go."

The man chuckled. "You're hurt, Soren. We're not going anywhere." Swiftly, before Soren could object, he slipped his hands under the mage's cloak and hoisted him up effortlessly.

He had no energy to resist but he tried anyways. "Stefan, I'm fine..." he protested meekly.

The innkeeper returned and Stefan made a motion with his head. He followed the other man to a back room where fresh sheets had been laid out on two beds. Stefan placed an annoyed Soren on one and accepted the bowl of stew from the innkeeper's hands.

"Say, where are you two from?" asked the innkeeper. "We don't get much travelers from outside of Telgam."

Stefan was quiet for a moment before answering. "We're from Mugill, actually. We were going to visit my sister up in Telgam city."

The innkeeper looked thoughtful. "Must be nice to travel around Begnion. I'd do so myself but the Order doesn't give too many permits for such wandering. Well, I'll leave you two to rest."

Stefan waved a thanks, closing the door to the room once the innkeeper was out.

"Stefan, what do you think you're doing?" Soren said brusquely, trying to sit up. "This place will be swarming with troops first thing tomorrow! We can't afford the luxury of a night's rest!"

Stefan held out a hand to stop the rest of the barrage of criticism he was about to receive. He shoved the bowl of stew into Soren's hands. "Relax, Soren. That blizzard you whipped up will buy us enough time. What's important now is that you recover your strength and properly take care of that wound. Now eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I don't care if you're hungry or not, you need to eat." Stefan sat on the opposite bed, his tone commanding. When Soren made no movement to grasp the spoon in the bowl, he added in a lighter tone, "If you must know, the food here is delicious. I praise the cook."

Soren sighed and half-heartedly picked up the spoon. He had no energy to argue with the man and Stefan knew it.

"Tomorrow we'll be long gone from this place," said Stefan reassuringly. "We have time after all. It'll be a while before they find their missing unit and continue the chase." He began to laugh suddenly. "You took them all out earlier, right? None escaped?"

"Routed every single one of them," Soren said darkly.

"Shame you didn't leave any for me." Stefan laid his sheathed blade next to him on the bed, easily accessible should he need it. "I'm gone for an hour or so and come back to find you've murdered a platoon of Order soldiers and didn't save me any. Typical of you."

Soren finished his food and Stefan took the bowl from him. "Now show me the wound."

Soren sighed. "Stefan-"

"Don't 'Stefan' me! Show me that wound, Soren."

Reluctantly, Soren complied and allowed Stefan to help him shed a few layers of black robes, the fronts stained an almost unnoticeable darker color from dried blood.

"You can't simply slap a vulnerary on it and expect it to heal properly without another glance. You know some of the Order uses poisoned weapons," Stefan said as he inspected it. A long and thin red gash ran horizontally on Soren's torso, and the skin was caked with dried blood. It was of a normal color though, not the violet disfigurement of poison.

"I would have felt it had it been poisoned, Stefan. Your concern is unnecessary."

Stefan, apparently satisfied that the wound wasn't life threatening and would heal on its own, cleaned the wound with water from his canteen. Then he produced a prepared paste for cuts from the folds of his robes and worked on applying it.

"More important than this, what news did you find?" Soren asked.

"Order troops are crawling all over Flaguerre," Stefan replied. "More than normally I mean. Apparently some adventurous Beorc child ventured out into old restricted Crimean territory and was caught. Beats me how he got through the strict guard, but if there's anything I've learned, is to not underestimate children." A ghost of a smile touched his face as he dimly remembered fighting alongside a few prodigious youngsters in the past.

Flaguerre was the last city to the northwest of Begnion, with the town of Mugill a ways south. It was isolated by mountains to both the southwest and north. A small city of few inhabitants that had nonetheless become a key place for the Order to keep close watch on as it was closest to the borders of western Gallia and the forgotten land of Crimea to the north.

"That's the reason there's been a huge increase of troops in this region," Stefan continued. "It seems that group of soldiers you fought earlier were headed there."

"This changes things," said Soren. "With so many Order troops about, we'll have to move farther south through Serenes and avoid being anywhere close to Mugill or Flaguerre before reaching the caves."

Stefan nodded and helped him with his robes once again. "That's why you need to rest now," he ordered, returning to his own bed. "You used up a lot of magic today and that wound isn't to be taken lightly." He yawned mightily before saying cheerily, "I can't always be looking after you all the time, you know." He blew out the lone candle on the floor beside his bed.

"No one asked you to," he heard Soren mutter murderously in the dark.

xxx

The next morning, Stefan was the first to awake. He gathered their things and was prepared to wake Soren, but again he hesitated. It was rare for the mage to get any untroubled sleep. He was tempted to let him sleep a bit more, but he knew they both couldn't afford that. The summoned blizzard was still alive and powerful outside, proof of the strength of Soren's power, but it would recede in a few hours. They had to be gone by then. Though it was a completely white storm out there, Stefan's senses told him it was only a little after dawn.

He woke Soren, and after paying the innkeeper, they both headed south towards the Miscale River, leaving the region of Telgam behind.

The blizzard didn't affect them. In fact, it swirled around the duo like a protective sphere of wind and ice once they were away from the inn. It had been created to hide the remains of the soldiers from the other day whom Soren had...left in bad shape, as well as impede the progress of any other groups of lagging Order troops that would inevitably discover the site and give chase.

The previous day, they had made a small camp north of Telgam. Stefan had left Soren to gather information in Telgam City about the increased movement of Order troops in the area, only to find out about the disturbance in Flaguerre. He had returned to find their camp a field of mutilated corpses from a small Order unit with a mildly annoyed and injured Soren sitting on a fallen log patiently awaiting his return while poking disinterestedly at his new wound. He would not tell Stefan its severity until they had put some distance between them and the area.

In four hundred years, both of their skills had improved much although their appearances had changed little. Perhaps it was their difference in Laguz blood, but Soren had remained virtually ageless while Stefan aged perhaps a little less than a decade. His prowess with the blade was unsurpassed though and Soren's skill with wind magic was almost unheard of.

This is why Stefan was concerned about Soren's wound. He knew that any enchanted weapon with a resistance strong enough to pierce his companion's windy defense and wound him had to have something more than met the eye. Over the years, using Begnion's old advanced magical technology, the Order had been designing augmented weapons with dangerous potential. In such a peaceful world though, Stefan could not see why they should be of any use.

They headed to the Kauku caves now, a secret volcanic labyrinth hidden at the edge of Serenes Forest with passes to Goldoa and Gallia. They had used the caves other times they needed to reach the other Laguz countries...there were still some friends on those sides. Soren had had many chances to map the labyrinth and commit its routes to memory.

However, with so many Order troops about Mugill and Flaguerre in the north, the duo had to travel farther south into Serenes to avoid any stray troops inside the forest before heading northwest towards the Kauku Caves. In the deep of the unchanging forest that had somehow avoided abuse from the Order, they would be able to hide easier.

The blizzard dissipated as they reached the Miscale River. As they were crossing the opposite shore, a hint of bright green in the golden white of the sandy bank caught Stefan's eye.

"Soren," he held out a hand to draw his companion's attention. "Look over there."

The sight was a figure with a mane of red sprawled on the sandy bank. She was covered with shimmering frost that had yet to melt.

As if some compelling force were driving him, Stefan rushed to the unconscious girl 's side. "Soren, this girl...?" he asked.

"Mmmmm," Soren agreed. "It's her."

"Looks like she got lost in your blizzard. I didn't know she was still hanging around these parts."

Stefan checked that she was alive and well, before taking her up in his arms to provide warmth. "Amy," he shook her gently in an attempt to stir her consciousness.

"Leave her. She left the desert out of her own free will, she's no longer any of our concern," said Soren.

Stefan had long since gotten used to Soren's uncaring attitude, but even this cold remark surprised him. He shifted to look the boy hard in the eyes. "I'm not leaving one of our own like this, Soren."

The girl, with reddish magenta hair tied into two messy pigtails, wore simple green clothes. She was short, and like most Branded, seemed fresh and young despite her real age. She began to stir in Stefan's arms.

"Auhhhh,"

"Amy..? How are you feeling?"

Slowly, she opened her eyes and met Stefan's own. A few moments passed before realization dawned. She stayed staring a while before she finally found a voice to speak with. "S-stefan?" She sat up in his lap, confusion evident in her face. She reached to his face tentatively.

"Oh!" Convinced he was real, she wrapped her arms tightly around him in a warm hug. "I've missed you!"

"Mmm. It's been a while," he responded, removing his cloak to place it around her shoulders. "What are you doing around these parts?"

Amy pulled the warm cloth against her gratefully. She was beginning to shiver. "I ... I found work at a nearby inn," she began. "I-I've been there. I left last night when I heard about the large group of Order troops that were going to pass through Telgam."

"Did you satisfy your lust for adventure and leave? Or did you finally learn that your dream is hopeless as well?" Soren nudged her with the small bag he had found lying next to her. It was filled with her things. "Nevertheless, your timing for departure was terrible. Did you not sense the blizzard approaching? Foolhardy is one who travels in such conditions without any regard to themself."

Amy swiveled her head sharply to this new voice. She hadn't noticed him. "Soren! You're here too!?" Forgetting the cold, she sprang up from the ground. With childish enthusiasm, the girl tackled the taciturn mage to the floor, ignoring his muffled grunt of pain.

She dug her face into his shoulder though Soren made no effort to hug her back...or pry her off. He stayed impassive even when he felt her form shake and he realized she was crying.

"I-I'm so glad..." she said finally, her voice muffled.

After a moment, Soren sighed. "It was that bad?"

She didn't answer, choosing to hug him tighter instead. Soren shook his head. "I told you what you would find if you left. If you're going to insist on crying, please do so on Stefan. You will not get any sympathy from me."

"Soren," Stefan warned.

Amy emitted a little gasp of surprise. She pulled away, trying to control her sniffs. "I can't believe I missed you! I totally forgot how much of a jerk you are!" She then proceeded to take his advice and wrapped her arms around Stefan instead.

"Soren!" Stefan tried to scold as he comforted Amy, but it was no use. The mage had picked himself up and looked away to the south with an impassive face and crossed arms. "We should go," he said. "We're already wasted enough time. Order troops can't be too far behind."

At this Amy stopped crying. "They've gotten so close already?" she whispered.

"Would you like to take your chances with them again and return to the inn, or come with us?" Soren asked, already walking forward and leaving them behind.

Amy pouted. "Isn't that obvious?" she asked, detaching herself from Stefan. "I was running away from there in the first place!" Stefan took her hand and they both ran to catch up with Soren.

"You say you worked at that inn behind?" Stefan said as the trio increased their pace to a light jog.

Amy nodded, drying her eyes on a green sleeve. "I found work as a cook for a while."

"Ah, yes I knew it! We stayed the night there actually," Stefan exclaimed cheerily. "Your cooking is as great as ever!"

xxx

"Can I ask-"

"No you can't," came Soren's curt reply from across the clearing.

"-where we're going?" Amy finished her inquiry, ignoring Soren. They had been successful in avoiding the Order troops in the area and sneaked into the Serenes Forest. They were now taking a brief rest at midday at Stefan's urging. He wanted to make sure Soren's wound healed properly.

"To the Kauku Caves," Stefan replied.

Amy gasped quietly, a little noise that Soren was beginning to find irksome. She seemed to be doing it every time she received new information. "The Kauku Caves?" she asked, pretty red eyes growing in childish shock. "But that's dangerous! Why those caves?"

"It can't be much more dangerous than you running off to try to coexist with Beorc in the belief that you could make some sort of miniscule difference in the world," said Soren. "In fact, I'm genuinely surprised you survived at all."

Amy turned red, seeming to blend with the color of her hair. "Waah! Stefan, Soren's being mean to me again!" she wailed.

Stefan couldn't resist laughing. Soren never let grudges go. Though Amy had grown both in mind and body, she seemed to retain the same childlike innocence Stefan remembered since he'd met her. In truth, he was sure Soren was relieved she was alright. Many back in the desert had given her up for dead when she had left after announcing her wish to return to the outside world. He could remember Amy as a small girl in the time of the last war; how she had lost her Beorc foster parents and could not accept the drastic change the world went through in the years that followed.

"The knowledge of the Kauku Caves in Begnion is lost, making it the only pass to the Laguz the Order doesn't know of," said Stefan. "Micaiah's got something she wants us to retrieve from our friends in Gallia."

At this Amy seemed to brighten with excitement and her next attempts at speech were poor. "Will...will we...s-see.." she began stuttering as a blush appeared on her cheeks. Stefan gave her a puzzled look as she paused. It was as if she knew she was going to say something silly and was trying to keep herself from saying it.

"Spit it out already," Soren interrupted.

"Will we see Kitty Cat Man!?"

Stefan was genuinely confused. "Who?"

A fierce blush was breaking out Amy's features. She clutched her bag and looked down to it on her lap. "Kitty Cat Man! I...it's been so long!"

She received no answer from Stefan who had no idea what she was talking about, but Soren understood. Amy had grown fond of a particular Laguz in the time of the last war.

"Ranulf. She means Ranulf."

"Ranulf," Stefan repeated. The image of a familiar blue feline appeared in his mind's eye. "Ah, Skrimir's man!"

"Yes!" said Amy, now hopping on her feet lightly. "Will we see him!?"

"Perhaps," said Stefan after a long pause. He exchanged a sad glance with Soren. "It depends on who the messengers are." .

"The break is over," Soren announced suddenly, interrupting Amy's imminent questions. "Gather your things."

The trio traveled through Serenes the rest of the day, reaching the mountains well after sundown. With Soren as their guide, they reached the hidden pass much faster than Stefan anticipated. Often, Stefan felt disoriented, as if there was some sort of skip in his memory. He put it off as an effect from the forest. Serenes had been the former home of the ancient Heron Laguz and undoubtedly contained remains of old magic. Soren did not seem to be affected though.

The pass was a small entrance that had become smaller over the years as it was obscured by boulders and debris that fell from the mountainside, the shaking of the underground volcanoes being the cause. Stefan's keen nose could smell the acrimonious smell of sulfur and smoke emanating from inside the pass.

"I heard the Kauku Caves was a labyrinth," said Amy as Stefan moved rocks away from the small underground opening. "We won't get lost...right?"

"Soren's been here dozens of times, no worries!" Stefan said cheerily. "We can rely on that brain of his! Right Soren?"

The mage didn't answer. Instead he seemed to be staring up at the mountain pensively.

"I remember when the entrance was much bigger," he said softly. "Large enough to fit a whole army through." Now that they were out of the darkness of the trees, soft moonlight touched his unreadable features. "In a few years, there won't be a pass at all."

"Soren," Stefan said gently.

Soren looked to him, then back to the entrance quickly. "If you two are ready, we'll start." He was the first to enter. Amy and Stefan followed.

xxx

They went down a narrow, cracking pass. The only light that illuminated their path came from the tiny orb of fire suspended on top of Soren's palm. After some minutes of walking, the walls around them expanded and then disappeared later, leaving them walking in a seemingly open space.

"Eep!" Amy squeaked suddenly. She grabbed Soren's arm, forcing him to stop.

"What?"

"The ceiling is pointy!" She pointed upwards and all three of them craned their heads to look up. Thin ash white shapes resembling drops of liquid seemed to be frozen in movement over their heads. Some were blunt, squat and shaped irregularly, others were long and pointy.

"So it seems," Soren responded apathetically, shaking her grip off and continuing.

Amy's legs refused to move. "Don't take the light!

"I didn't teach you magic to not use it."

Amy shook her head. "I don't have a tome!" she responded quickly. "I can't generate simple spells without one like you!"

Soren turned and gave her a look. "Amy, I sense a fire tome in your bag. _Use it_." He kept walking.

Stefan gave a reassuring pat on Amy's shoulder. "It's alright, Amy. Those things have been petrified for a few centuries. We haven't gotten to the real lava yet." He managed to get her to move.

Hot air hit them as they began to see an orange glow up ahead. The glow increased as they neared it until there was no need for Soren's light.

In front of them, were various pools of bubbling hot orange goo and rising steam. The sudden heat and smell had become almost unbearable.

"Watch your step," Soren said nonchalantly as he lead the way. Amy stayed close to Stefan. They both came close to being burned as the ground would suddenly erupt outwards in some places and scalding steam would then proceed to blast out.

Amy yelped as the ground she had stepped on began to crack. Stefan grabbed her and pulled her away, only to have the crack follow them. Relief overcame them both as a very thin layer of frost seem to slow the crack the slightest bit, allowing them both to find safer ground. A few seconds later the frost cracked and dissipated, it's existence as if it had never been there.

"That's amazing, Soren!" Amy said as Stefan put her down. "You can still generate ice even here?"

"Unfortunately, the conditions don't allow me to keep it up for long. Needless to say, fire magic would be very potent here." He ushered them into the safety of a less turbulent, narrower cave. "I would appreciate it if you two kept out of the fire." He ducked under a low rock arch and took a left turn.

"There are two exits," Soren informed Amy as she came to his side. "One to Goldoa and one to Gallia." He sidestepped a bubbling pool of questionable substance. "This way leads to Gallia. I hope you are memorizing the way."

"Ahhh, was I supposed to?" Amy said sheepishly.

Soren sighed before moving on to another topic. "The first time I came through here was in the last war with a retreating army of Laguz and Beorc. We had aimed for Gallia but came out on Goldoa's side instead."

Stefan chuckled. "You said King Dheginsea was not pleased."

Soren nodded but didn't say much after.

Amy waited for him to elaborate but he didn't. Back in the Grann Desert, she had learned a little of Soren's old adventures from the rare times he had ventured to share with her. He always tended to clam up at an interesting part though. He was close lipped about his past and there wasn't anything that could ever be done to loosen his tongue about it.

She remembered what Stefan had told her a long time ago after an especially loud complaint. _"Memories of the past bring pain to many of us, but the pain is buried most deeply with him. Don't ask him about his past." _ He had said so in a stiff voice, one that reminded her that no matter how cheerful Stefan acted, he too had been through a lot. The fact that unlike Soren, he chose to tell stories about his past and make light of them was something else entirely.

Soren interrupted her thoughts. "It would be wise if you knew how to navigate this labyrinth in the future," he persisted.

"Hmm," Amy replied indifferently.

He lead them around turns and various rooms of overflowing lava. Once they came through a waterfall of magma. Despite not wanting to give into Soren's patronizing suggestions, Amy had tried to form a map in her mind. She gave up trying to memorize after so many twists and turns however.

After what seemed an eternity of walking, a deep exhaustion was beginning to take hold of her. Fear of getting burned kept her on her feet though. Finally, up ahead came a familiar light.

Energy temporarily renewed, Amy ran forward past Soren. She emerged to a lightening night sky outside and breathed in fresh air.

xxx

To the east, the sun was poking out from the horizon and illuminating the Gallian sky.

Lethe watched as the sky became lighter by the minute. Her expression showed the apprehension she was feeling. She rose from the soft grass and stretched. "Aghhhh, they're taking so long!" she complained to her companion who rested against a rock a few meters away. She began pacing.

"We must be back soon or we'll be caught," she hissed in annoyance.

"Lethe, calm yourself. It is long way from Begnion and Order is more heavy on other side," said Mordecai. "Patient we must be and trust."

He gingerly reached for an object in front of him on the grass that was wrapped in a thick cloth. "Are they yet here?" the gentle tiger asked it.

After a moment, a hushed but cheerful voice that did not belong to neither Lethe nor Mordecai responded. "Look over the cliff!"

Lethe stopped her restive pacing and obeyed. They were situated on a mountain ledge overlooking the pass. She broke out into a nervous smile and waved at the weary trio emerging from the dark caves.

A small girl and a familiar swordsman immediately waved back. The third person of their group did not wave, yet he gave a nod of the head in a way of greeting and flashed a rare smile ... and then it was gone.

But Lethe had seen.

**~xxx~**

* * *

_**Agh, it's been a long time hasn't it? I cannot apologize enough! As for my excuse, I have absolutely none. Life is busy as it is without me forgetting, procrastinating and getting distracted by the new Fire Emblem game. D; **__**I am so sorry! I make no promises but I will always try to keep the wait to a minimum. It's summer now, so I can pick myself up and catch up on the rest of my stories.**_

_**Thank you so much for everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed. It makes me happy that the prologue got such good reception! Now I'm scared because I hope I don't disappoint/haven't already disappointed all of you. I feel as though I've taken a bigger bite than I can swallow with this AU subject, but don't worry! I've got big plans for it. **__** :D Because of that, I feel as though I should warn you to even bigger potential character spoilers in the future. Also, sorry if you don't recognize locations said in this fic. I used the game's world map to examine Begnion. The beginning of this fic will be centered there for the first bunch of chapters. I'll try my best to describe where these places are so you don't have to pull up a map yourself. Wearegoingtobeallovertheplacethough.**_

_**Everyone knows who Amy and Stefan is, right? The little girl in green with the red hair from Radiant Dawn with Calill and Largo acting as her foster parents? She also appears later in Part 4 with Geoffrey and Bastian who found her unaffected by Ashera's judgement. If you don't have Calill in that group, Ranulf comforts her. x3 Stefan's kinda of a super secret, hidden character. You have to step on a certain spot of sand in a desert map in both Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn with a specific character to get him. He immediately takes an interest in Soren and tries to convince him to return with him to the desert in Grann.**_

**_I hope that I'm keeping all of them in character. Do keep i_****_n mind that four hundred years have passed and they are all slightly changed for both better and worse. Soren's improving character development took a big blow in this alte_**rnate RD endgame AU after Ike died. Amy's a bit of an open book, so I just took some of her basic character qualities and saw w**_hat I could come up with them. She's become like that obligatory slightly annoying little sister in each game. XD_**

_**Well that's it! Excuse the long author's note and thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review if you can. They give me motivation to write!**_


	3. Chapter Two

_**Chapter Two**_

_Eastern Gallia, region of Susa, the mountainous entrance of the hidden Kauku Caves... _

Warm words of greeting were exchanged quickly. Amy seemed a tad disappointed of the absence of a certain feline, but she hugged Mordecai whom she remembered.

"Have you brought it?" Soren asked Lethe.

She rolled her eyes. The growing anxiety from the last hours of waiting had put her in a bad mood. "What a pointless thing to ask." She turned to Mordecai who was lifting a giggling Amy. "Mordecai."

He nodded, knowing they did not have time, and put Amy down quickly, withdrawing a thick bundle of clothing. He offered it to Soren who looked reluctant to take it.

"What's the matter now?" Lethe hissed when some seconds passed and still the mage did not make a move towards the bundle.

Soren sensed her nervousness and knew the risk they were taking by coming here with it, yet he didn't trust himself with the thing inside the bundle. "Amy," he called. "Come here." His tone invited no disobedience and she hurried to him.

"We will take this back to Grann. You will be in charge of holding it for safekeeping. You will never, I repeat, _never_ for any reason, remove the cloth it is wrapped in. Do you understand?"

Amy was puzzled and a bit surprised but she nodded, taking it from Mordecai. It was thickly wrapped but did not weigh too much. "What is it?"

Her question went ignored as Stefan began to speak, "The Herons have done their part with this, correct?"

Lethe nodded. "They have loosened the bonds enough for her to speak when she wishes. With Micaiah, they believe the rest of the bonds will eventually weaken. It is all in her hands now."

"... How are things on this side?" Stefan inquired.

Lethe grimaced. "It is the same. They are all weak-minded fools, easily controlled. King Skrimir has long since bent to the Order's will, though he and the others will never realize it. Easily influenced. Those in the beast tribe will remain _weak pups_ to a puppet leader! Giffca knows though. He works with us secretly. It seems Mordecai and I are the only other ones to know the truth however."

"We can trust no one," Mordecai added somberly.

To hear her speak of her own King so disrespectfully when she had once been the most loyal of subjects told Stefan enough.

"And Lyre?" he asked again. "Has no breakthrough been made in her memory?"

Lethe looked to him, her voice had turned bitter. "Why ask? Did you really expect some change?" Stefan realized he had touched upon a touchy subject and chose not to answer that.

"Excuse me?" Amy approached Lethe shyly. "How is Kit- I mean! Ranulf?"

Lethe looked to her and then to Soren and Stefan. She recognized the girl from the past but had never had much interaction with her. Obviously the girl was not completely informed of the situation here. "Why does she not know?" Lethe asked in a low voice, looking away from Amy's bright, expectant eyes.

Stefan chuckled awkwardly. "We didn't brief her very well, I'm afraid."

Lethe's eyes narrowed. "It is not very wise of you to have brought a _child._" The last word was almost hissed.

Amy looked puzzled but protested anyway. "I'm not as young as I look!"

"Never mind her. What news of the other tribes?" Soren asked before Lethe could become more uncomfortable.

She unexpectedly broke into a grin, her bad mood temporarily forgotten and sharp feline teeth showing. "The Bird tribes are doing much better. The White Prince and his siblings have secretly been able to return King Tibarn's memory. I do not know much of King Naesala, but I believe Kilvas and Phoenicis are slowly breaking from the Order's control!"

Stefan almost cheered. "Haha, finally Reyson does it! It was only a matter of time!"

"As for Goldoa, I cannot tell you much," Lethe continued.

"Much news does not travel from there," Mordecai added.

Lethe inched forward, as if she was going to share something secretive. "We have heard rumors though." She looked grim. "King Kurthnaga is not well."

"As in health?" Soren asked and received a shrug in return.

"Stricter Order needed to control dragons, but young Kurthnaga is too strong in mind," said Mordecai slowly. "His memory was never controlled since beginning. His has been only ploy and act. Maybe they learned of truth?"

"Then we have reason to fear for his well being," Stefan surmised and a brief silence seemed to settle over all of them.

"We must go," Soren broke the silence. "We cannot hold you up any longer."

Lethe nodded, already turning away. Mordecai had already transformed and was nuzzling Amy in parting affection. "Prince Rafiel sends with us a final message," she said, her back to them. "We have been in close contact with him."

" 'The Order is becoming too suspicious. They've been taking select Laguz to Begnion every year in the guise of a ceremony. We must act soon or risk inevitable capture ourselves.' "

A flash of orange and a large golden cat was in her place. Her head turned to look at them and nodded a farewell before bounding off into the mountains on their sides.

"Farewell," Mordecai growled softly before heading after her. Amy waved after them with the hand that was not holding the bundle.

Soren and Stefan turned back to the cave opening, discussing something quietly. Amy noticed they were returning and made a face. "You mean to say, we have to go back into that inferno after we just got _out _?" She couldn't help but whine.

"Is there a problem with that?" Soren asked.

Amy sighed, resigning herself. She placed the bundle of cloth in her bag to keep her hands free. "No."

~xxx~

During the return trip through the fiery pass, Amy asked about what Lethe had meant about Ranulf. What hadn't they told her? Half of what she had heard, she didn't understand. She didn't know much about how the Laguz side of the world had been affected after the Disciples of Order took control. Those in the desert who tried for a quiet living spoke little of the outside world.

Jumping to extremes, she asked if Ranulf was dead. She was glad they were in a darker part of a cave where there wasn't enough light to see her worried face.

"Ranulf... he is alive. However..." Stefan trailed off, and his tone suggested he had more to say but lacked the words to explain.

"He is no longer himself," Soren continued cryptically. "None of them are."

"...What does that mean? How...?"

Soren didn't answer right away, instead choosing to launch into a recount of an earlier time period. "After we were defeated at the Tower of Guidance and the Order took over, the Laguz still rebelled. Being able to live much longer than Beorc, other methods were required to control them. Unlike humans, those that knew would not be a dying race soon to be replaced with a new generation. The Laguz would not willingly bow down to Ashera."

Amy caught on quickly. "So they brainwashed them?"

Soren nodded. "It wasn't that much of a feat. Most Laguz have a one-track mind, they're _beasts_ after all." Amy wondered about the bitterness in his tone. "Some of the Laguz Royals that opposed Ashera were disposed of because they possessed too strong a mind to simply forget what they had been fighting for like their subjects. The past king of the beast laguz, Caineghis... no one really knows what became of him. Skrimir took power as the next heir but by that time, the Order had seeped deep into Gallia. His mind, as well as the rest of his subjects, was clouded to very piously believe in the Order. The same is with the the other tribes. I was never sure, but I believe Dheginsea died at the Tower of Guidance. His son, Kurthnaga, ascended to the throne. " He paused, as if he was thinking about something.

Stefan took up where he left off before the silence became too big. "Kurthnaga, Tibarn and Naesala succumbed to the Order's brainwashing so they were able to keep their thrones. In time though, they have rediscovered their hearts. They are on our side. The Herons, who are under Tibarn's protection in Phoenicis, have helped much with that. They could never be brainwashed in the first place. In fact, increased Order in the world has only made the Herons stronger! Haha! Now they work to turn as many Laguz as they can in secret." Stefan smiled. He'd brightened considerably with the hopeful news; not even barely missing to get speared by a falling stalactite earlier could ruin his mood!

"Though they are Kings, their true power is limited. They are only figureheads to keep their people in check, while the Order rules behind the scenes," Soren added.

Amy nodded, absorbing the knowledge. No one had ever ventured to explain things to her more thoroughly in the desert! And whenever she asked, she got a sorrowful shake of the head in reply. Contrary to her childish nature and the fact she was one of the youngest Branded back in Grann, she really did understand! "So Ranulf is still under the Order's influence, huh? I hope he remembers soon."

A few moments of silence passed before she asked some more questions. "What were you talking about with that bundle? What's in it that you didn't want me to unwrap? How is Micaiah going to help? "

"You'll find out about that soon enough. All you need to know is that it is vital to opposition against the Order and you must keep it safe until it reaches Micaiah's hands." Stefan said.

"You can handle that, can't you, Amy?" Soren added.

Amy pouted, although no one could see. "Of course!"

There was no talk after that. A few hours later they were out of the lava-filled caves, much to Amy's relief. There was orange light from a dying sun streaming through the trees._ It was late afternoon already?_ She collapsed to the ground after stumbling out of the cave opening, utterly exhausted.

"We'll rest here," she heard Stefan say. He sat on a rock nearby in an almost equally tired manner.

Amy didn't realize she had instantly fallen asleep there on the ground, but it was to be expected. They hadn't slept in more than a day and time passed quickly in those caves.

Something nudged her foot. A faint voice bugged her.

"Amy."

She just wanted to sleep! No go away!

"Amy!"

She had to be shaken lightly before she came to. She met annoyed crimson eyes with her own. "W-what?" she asked groggily, thinking it was an emergency and they needed to move. However, she saw no urgency in his eyes.

"Up."

"Aww, Soren! No, I'm really tired!"

"Amy, please get up."

She huffed. Only because he asked nicely! And really, she could never win with Soren. She yawned and watched him ruffle around in her bag. "Those are my things!" she protested feebly, struggling to keep her eyes open. Fatigue kept pulling her eyelids down.

He tossed her the fire tome she had kept hidden in there and stood, wincing for some reason as he did. "We are going to practice before it gets dark," he stated matter of factly.

It took a moment for Amy to process those words. She realized she did not like them. "B-but-!"

"No buts Amy."

She looked to Stefan, hoping he would heed her plea but he was passed out on his rock. _No fair!_ she thought.

"Aren't you tired, Soren? We should use this chance for rest!"

"You are returning to Grann with us, correct?" he asked instead.

After a moment, she nodded, eyes flicking down. She didn't want to seem like a puppy returning home with a tail in between the legs, but it was inevitable. As Soren had once told her, Grann Desert was the only haven in Tellius for any Branded. She had not listened to him.

"Then you must regain your old skills. I feel you have not used them in a long time and the trip back to Grann is hazardous. You will be a burden if you cannot take care of yourself. Right now is the only time we can do this; any later and it will be too dark, meaning the smoke may be visible from elsewhere. Serenes Forest is not completely untouched by the Order after all. And there will definitely be smoke if you've forgotten how to control your magic."

Grouchily, she stood, holding the tome. He had a point.

"Well?" she said awkwardly. "What should I do?"

Soren took a few paces back. "Attack me," he said, the smallest ghost of a smile appearing on his face as if Amy's sudden surprised face amused him.

Amy already knew arguing was a lost cause. She closed her eyes, ignoring her weariness, and drew power from the tome in her hands by focusing energy. It was a familiar exhilarating feeling to have the magic course through her. She hadn't known she had missed it until she now felt it again. When enough power was drawn, she lifted a hand above her head, wrestling the power to her will and sending an arc of hungry flames licking out to Soren.

The fire didn't even reach him, dissipating a few feet away from him.

Amy sensed disappointment. Her cheeks were already turning pink from embarrassment and she was sure strong criticism was to follow.

"That try was... pathetically comical," he scoffed. "Did you even put any effort into that or is that truly the extent of your abilities?"

"Hey!" she protested. "I haven't used this tome in a few years! I'm only rusty!"

It was true. Back in Begnion, any type of magic was outlawed by the Order. Only by joining the ranks of their troops could you be allowed to learn the art if you had the talent. She had kept the tome hidden, never using it. One look at it was all that was needed to give her away. No one but the Order really knew magic anymore.

"Again," Soren commanded, stepping some more paces back, meaning she would need even more power to reach him. He was really trying to make this difficult for her, wasn't he?

Amy closed her eyes again as she remembered her surrogate mother. Calill had been an excellent magic user. Although she hadn't been the one to teach Amy, as she had still been too young for such a dangerous art back then, the girl had always idolized her. The Fire Mage's skill over flame anima was unmatched and Amy had often watched her mother practice in the courtyard. She remembered how Calill used to move gracefully with the flow of magic, directing flame with absolute control, her movements becoming one with it. A dangerous, beautiful dance.

Calill had died in the Tower of Guidance.

A Beorc man named Tormod, her own mother's student, had been the one that had taken care of Amy after the war when fugitive Branded, Laguz and Beorc had retreated to Grann Desert and she was taken with them. He began to teach her magic and in the years as his student, her mind grew, if not her body. Amy forged a deep bond with Tormod that made her slow aging over the years a painful foreshadowing of the inevitable future. Eventually, she and the other Laguz and Branded outlived all the original Beorc that had arrived there.

Soren, a withdrawn and grim Wind Mage she had believed to be more than a little scary back then, saw potential in her. He continued her studies, working her even harder than Tormod. Truly he was not the kindest of mentors, but his skill surpassed that of her former master.

Amy concentrated harder, this time focusing more power until she felt she couldn't hold it anymore. With a yell and a bit of a twirl that was more for show than anything else, she released it.

Huge hungry flames flew towards Soren and everything else. For a horrid moment, she thought they had consumed him. When the fire had settled. The closest trees were smoking but the darkly-clad mage looked fine. She berated herself silently. Worry for his safe being was silly.

"Much better."

Amy beamed at the praise as Soren sent a sharp gust of wind to extinguish any remaining flames. Like the light of a candle being blown out by a sharp breath, the fire was gone. Renewed confidence flowed back into her and she felt she could do better in a real fight.

"How is your resistance?" he asked.

"Is that important?" she asked. "There aren't many magic users among the Order's troops, is there?"

"Not much magic users, but an abundance of magically augmented _weapons_ ," Stefan yawned from his rock. He had been watching from half closed eyes. "They are potentially more deadly. How would you like to suffer from a bleeding cut as well as a scathing burn?"

"Ah."

"Amy." Soren brought her attention back to him. "Defend."

Without warning, she was assailed by icy wind that almost made her wish she was back in those hot caves. She yelped. Although wind was supposed to be the weakest of the anima magic types, she had the worst resistance to it. No wonder she had passed out in the magical blizzard the day before.

"Please stop!" She yelled out. He didn't. _How cruel _! Did he not care if she turned into an icicle?

_Defend,_ he had said. She began to remember one of the very first lessons he had given her back in the desert...

_Amy collapsed on the sandy ground, breathing heavily as she wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to generate warmth. It was one of the rare times she wished the cool desert night was as hot as the daytime. She heard footsteps in front of her and she looked up, glaring at the one who had subjected her to such an icy torture. _

_"That was so mean! You're horrible!" she whined loudly, almost in tears. "Tormod would never have-"_

_"Tormod is dead." The harshness in that single remark silenced her immediately. "What he 'would never have done' is out of the question. You are no longer his student, you are mine. And as such, you will be subjected to my methods of training."_

_Amy's hands came to her face as a lump appeared in her throat. Why and when had she ever agreed to be this passionless mage's student?_

_There was a few moments of silence before he spoke again. _

"_Amy." _

"_Go away!" _

"_What did you have in your hand the whole time?" _

_Her hands slowly came down from her face as she looked down to her lap. A bright fire tome coated with frost. "A tome," she said quietly. She looked back to him and realized with some disappointment that his eyes were a hard crimson that did not look the least remorseful for hurting her feelings. _

_Her new mentor crouched to her level. "If you cannot dodge, counterattack. Remember the weapon triangle. What has an advantage over lighting?" _

_"...wind," she pouted._

_"And over that?"_

_"...fire." _

_"Correct. Air fans flame into a more powerful force if your spark is strong enough. If it isn't, your fire will be snuffed like a candle. When the conditions are right, you should use it to your advantage." _

That's right! She was still clutching her fire tome! The magic wind that swirled about her did not have enough intensity to cut, it was only cold. She grinned, she would show him.

A few seconds later, a bright sphere of fire grew larger around her, fueled by the wind. It swirled around her with the flow of air before both magical forces moved outward violently and dissipated after a showy display.

The effort to produce a big enough flame left her feeling faint and she had no time to celebrate her victory. The familiar sound of thunder sent her hairs on end and she dived out of the way just before it hit the spot she was standing on. She hit the ground, quickly getting up lest she not be prepared if any more magic was sent her way.

_He just had to ruin her little personal victory, didn't he? _

A soft clapping sound was heard and she looked quickly to the source, fearing it might be another bolt of lighting. Soren stopped his brief clapping, looking a bit pleased.

"My, Soren," Stefan drawled. "If I didn't know better I'd say you might have had the intention of killing her with that bolt."

"Yes!" Amy agreed indignantly, nodding her head vigorously. "He tried to kill me!"

The mage ignored them. "Her reflexes aren't that bad, perhaps she might just be able to hold her own." He moved to a formerly smoking tree and placed his back to it. "It's gotten too dark to practice anymore. We are finished for now. Try to rest for a while, we'll start moving in a few hours to try to make it out of the forest in the dark. It will be easier to sneak out before dawn." He sighed heavily, and slid down the tree with one hand placed tightly on his abdomen as he did so.

It was that show of rare emotion that gave away how debilitated he really was.

"Is that wound giving you trouble?" Stefan asked immediately. "Did you reopen it?"

Soren's silence was the only answer he needed. Stefan hurried off the rock he was resting on to the boy's side, ignoring protests as he came.

"Did Soren get hurt?" Amy asked.

"Before we came to the inn, I was off investigating the news in Telgam city. I left Soren at a small camp we made. I came back to find he had been ambushed by a group of Order soldiers. That blizzard was created to cover our tracks."

Amy gasped, hurrying to Soren's side as well. She ignored the tired glare from Soren that suggested it was dangerous to approach him any closer.

"Is he alright?"

Stefan had only lightly touched the front of Soren's robes when his fingers came up red. Again, the dark of his clothes had disguised the blood. "Soren!" he scolded. The effort from the lengthy walking and constant avoiding of the dangers in the cave had taken their toll. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"...I didn't notice."

_Replying like a guilty child,_ Stefan thought. He began the process of removing the heavy robes and cleaning out the wound. "Amy, get some rest," he said distractedly.

Amy nodded, although she didn't move. She couldn't. She was worried. Her small hands came to cover her mouth when she saw the actual wound, one that was quite long and currently oozing much red.

Soren wouldn't meet their eyes, looking into the deep of the forest to his left instead. It occurred to Amy that he disliked such attention.

This went on for a few minutes and Soren found himself slipping into thoughts of older times.

Whenever Stefan scolded him about about his 'self-destructing' habits, Soren couldn't help but remember older times. That same tone. That surprising care. It reminded Soren of a certain fiery paladin with the motherly eyes and red mane of hair.

He would look away as she scolded him something fierce for his harsh manners, refusing to be cowed by the woman.

They would argue and debate fiercely over a course of action, while their conflicted blue-haired commander would look back and forth between them, trying to calm them both down.

She would criticize him for being so cold and he to her for being so soft.

In the end, despite their ages and differences, Titania and him had come to view each other as equals, advisers to their young commander. She had been the mother figure the Greil Mercenaries had looked up to.

He had been a mere boy on a search back before he had joined the Greil Mercenaries. He had joined because the person he searched for was in their ranks. Titania had been one of the first to approach him. He was so unused to such affections that he did not know how to deal with her. She was not well received but that did not faze her. She did not let him neglect himself.

With endless patience, she was the one that had taken care of all the reckless idiots the Greil Mercenaries were part of.

And she was long since gone with the rest of them.

Stefan finished his task and both he and Amy moved away to find a soft spot on the ground to sleep after some yawning. He had not thanked Stefan.

The older Branded too, had been a guiding light after the war.

After Soren was sure his companions were asleep, (it really wasn't too much of a wait), he rose with some steadying help from the tree at his back. His tired knees shook from the effort but he was able to walk. The wound was throbbing painfully on his torso but he ignored it.

He couldn't sleep. There was suddenly too much on his mind. He headed off into the trees for a short walk.

He had not walked far until something interrupted his thoughts. "_You're not sleepy?"_

He tensed, it was a familiar voice he had not heard in a very long time. He had almost forgotten she was with them now.

"No, and we need someone to keep watch," he answered tersely.

_"There are no Order troops anywhere close to this area and you know it, otherwise the Kauku caves would have been found already. You need rest!" _

"I'm fine," he insisted.

A few moments passed and Soren hoped she had gone quiet.

_"... Liar,_" came the reply in a childish tone.

He sighed. "Please leave me alone."

"_Why?_" the voice asked, there was almost a taunt in her tone. "_Do you enjoy being alone?_"

Soren slumped against a tree, standing on his feet seemed to have become a feat. "And if I do?"

_"Then you're lying again!" _

There was no winning against Yune.

"Tell me, Goddess. Were you completely alone, locked for ages in that medallion?"

Again there was silence and Soren dared to hope it would keep that way.

_"...Yes."_ Something like a sigh followed.

_"Though I was sleeping, a part of my consciousness that had detached itself from me roamed. I could sense what happened in the world and interact in a miniscule degree, but I was always alone inside the metal." _Yune's voice continued, tone no longer childish but somber and sad, _"I felt lonely. I was so happy whenever someone touched my medallion because I was able to feel another presence."_

The voice made a sad noise. _"Yet my power is too great for a mortal without a strong heart to handle. It destroyed the minds of many. People were led to believe that I was evil. It makes me...what are the words? Sad and angry." _

"You are that part of Ashera, then? You embrace such emotions while she casts them away."

_"Yes."_

More silence.

_"Why do you bury your feelings behind a mask of coldness?_" she asked, suddenly directing the subject back to him. _"They're there just beneath the surface. Anger, regret, pain. I sense them very well. If you would let them out they would not cause so much pain."_

Soren didn't answer, instead choosing to stare at the tree in front of him. A squirrel ran by his feet. A few moments passed and an expectant silence weighed heavily. He knew she was there, expecting an answer. An answer he himself didn't know.

Gradually, her presence faded. Soren felt it. She was gone. With some difficulty, he made his way back to camp. He once again slumped against a tree, slowly sliding down and eyeing Amy's bag warily where he knew the cloth-wrapped Medallion lay.

He stayed there, thinking about what Yune had said. He didn't notice when his eyes closed on their own.

_**~xxx~**_

* * *

_**Okay! So anon Guest asked about OC's and children. In the Branded colony, there are some Beorc that are decendants of some of the characters in the games. XD Some **__**have Laguz blood too.**_ The Branded and Laguz have had children and the such, just not our main characters specifically...unless you guys actually want some children OC's? XD

_**I've actually been thinking about that for a while. I'll need some OC's for villains...unless the originals didn't die in the Endgame and Ashera's blessing gave them longevity of life...a thing I'm still debating on. **__**I would like some of the other human characters to reappear...reincarnation and such? I'm wondering if I should change their names though...or even bring characters from other FE games? Or should I just make random OC's when I need them?**_

_********__I'm a bit indecisive when it comes to this stuff due to the fact that I like sticking with the canon, so I'm reluctant to create original characters because I feel they intrude...but leave a review and tell me what you think! I don't want to upset my readers either! _

_**Should I reincarnate some characters? Bring in new ones from other games and integrate them into this world? Or just make OC's?**_

_**I'll make a poll as well so you guys can vote on my profile page. Let's see how that works out..if it even does. XD Keep in mind I'm probably going to use a mix of the three choices, I just want to see which I should use the most.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


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